Best practices to handle API updates

Here are some best practices for handling API updates.

Review our changelogs regularly: Use the following changelogs to keep track of the latest changes we release to our APIs:
- API changelog (for all API updates)
- Release timeline (for updates that require you to modify your code)

Closely monitor the scheduled release announcements: When reviewing the release timeline, make sure to keep track of the release dates mentioned in the initial announcement. For example, note the date circled in red below:

release-best-practice

Fig: A sample changelog entry with the scheduled release date highlighted.

Include our API changes in your development lifecycle: Regularly review and include any API changes into your development lifecycle. This will ensure that you get the maximum functionality from our APIs (and have minimal disruptions).

Understanding deprecations: Deprecation followed by sunsetting a required field in an API is considered a breaking change. When we communicate the deprecations in the initial announcement, we will provide a sufficient time period for you to update your API integration with this change (as mentioned in the supported breaking changes). After the announced time period for the deprecation has expired, the field will no longer exist in the API and your integrations will fail if you haven’t modified your code. We encourage you to closely keep track of the sunset date mentioned in the initial announcement and incorporate the change before that date.